More cubes

Cubes are all the rage on the App Store at the moment, thanks mainly to 22Cans's teasing timesink Curiosity. Motley Blocks is a bit like Curiosity if it had a visible goal rather than a promised one, and more of a game layered on top of its intrigue.

The end result is an entertaining and occasionally tough as old boots colour-matching game with a few tricks up its uniquely styled sleeve. There's certainly fun here, but there's a good chunk of frustration too.

Blocks, blocks, blocks

Each level begins with a coloured shape compressed in the centre of your view. After a beat it expands, filling the screen with a dusting of differently coloured cubes, which then start spinning.

You clear cubes of the same colour by tracing a line between them. The longer the chain you create the more points you score, and - perhaps more importantly - the more the spinning mass of blocks slows down.

You've got a set number of laps to clear all of the cubes. Succeed, and the true shape of the level is revealed and you can move on to the next. Fail, even by a single cube, and you'll be left to try again.

Special blocks such as bombs and lumps of ice change the way the game plays, giving you bonus time and clearing more blocks in a single chain. You can buy power-ups with the cash you earn by completing levels, or risk using the random ones the game provides.

Dr. Feelcube

There are plenty of levels to try and work your way through, ranging from simple dual colour creations to incredibly complex multi-toned works that require dexterity and concentration to complete.

The problem is that the game is too strict. You might have a single cube left to clear, but if the red line is in the centre of the screen you fail and you'll have to start the level all over again.

It's a shame, because it's going to put a lot of people off what is a novel and often engaging experience. Throw in some occasional slowdown and a playing style that gets a little repetitive and you're left with a package that isn't quite as good as it could, or should, be.